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ISSSource | Chem Industry: Security Intersects with safety paradigm
Written by Mission Secure News Desk
September 03, 2020
ISSSource's Greg Hale discusses cybersecurity and safety in the chemical industry, covering the two-part cybersecurity session, “Cybersecurity in the Chemical Industry; Where Process Safety, Control, and Optimization Meet the Digital Age of Connectivity,” at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ (AIChE) 2020 Spring Meeting & 16th Global Congress on Process Safety.
“It wasn’t long ago where industry wags discussed the importance of safety – and rightly so – but security was just an afterthought. Those days, however, now appear to be gone and the sun is shining on coupling safety and security together. It only makes sense.”
- Greg Hale, ISSSource
Hale highlights the different dimensions the cybersecurity session covered and the paradigm shift for the industry. Mission Secure, aeSolutions, and ISA co-chaired the session, presented by an impressive line-up of speakers — energy supermajors, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and industry thought leaders.
“It comes down to the approach. Cybersecurity really intersects in the safety paradigm. It is imperative to tie both safety and cybersecurity awareness practices into your program.”
- Marco Ayala, aeSolutions
The development and adoption of new, innovative technologies are a constant in today’s interconnected world. Nowhere is this truer than in the chemical industries. These technologies enhance and optimize the physical processes, resulting in more-efficient operations, improved product quality, increased safety, and improved management. However, if not integrated properly, these innovations can also increase exposure to cyber threats with the potential to cripple operations.
“For decades, we’ve relied on control systems in operations without a thought to cyber-securing them because, back then, it wasn’t a risk,” comments co-chair Mark Baggett, VP of Industrial Control Systems at Mission Secure in the session press release. “Today, the risk is imminent and increasing. We’re all going back to address the issues we created and to prepare for today’s likely and highly impactful risks as we look to adopt new Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies.”
Read the full article ISSSource: Chem Industry: Security Intersects with safety paradigm.
Originally published September 3, 2020, updated February 13, 2023.